Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Bovril Beef ultra-processed?

250 g Broths Sold in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France

Pack of Bovril Beef

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 14 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed broths

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

beef broth 50%, water, beef bones, yeast extract 27%, salt, water, ammonia caramel, corn starch, beef 1%, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, lactic acid, flavourings (contain celery)

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E270 Lactic acid , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E150c Ammonia caramel.

As written on the pack

beef broth (50%) [water, beef bones), yeast extract (27%) [contains barley, wheat, oats, rye], salt, water, colour (ammonia caramel), corn starch, beef powder (1%), flavour enhancers (disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate), acid (lactic acid), flavourings (contain celery). may contain egg, milk, mustard.

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • E150c Ammonia caramel Ammonia caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars with ammonia compounds.
  • E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
2 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 240 broths

From least to most processed, this one ranks 200th. 70% of the broths here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 240 broths, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 50184439, last edited 18 August 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.